The One That Got Away
by SpringHiller09
Summary: Bella and Carlisle meet right after high school, and start one of the most perfect relationship. But, Carlisle gets accepted to Harvard Med School, and asks Bella to join him in Boston but Bella is scarred of leaving, and lets him go. Now, the day of his marriage to another woman, Bella begins to think back to their relationship, and begins to strongly regret, letting him walk away
1. Prologe: Little by Little

**Prologue: Little by Little**

* * *

I woke up that morning, feeling nauseous. This was suppose to be my day with him. Now, it was her day with him and I wanted to throw up at the thought of them saying 'I do'. But, no one was to blame but myself. I let him walk away. I let myself give into his ultimatum, even though it would destroy us both.

"Bells?" Alice, my older sister, called through the door. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine." I called back, sitting up and began the process of actually getting out of bed. I took one look at myself in the mirror, and could already tell what kind of day this was going to be. Once pulled my hair up, and pulling on some old jeans and my Chucks, I went out into the small kitchen.

"There she is!" Edward, my best friend, announced. I smiled back at him and slumped into a chair. "Bad night?"

"You have no idea." I mumbled.

"Oh, but the sounds coming from the bathroom give me a pretty good idea." He said, trying to make the situaion better. But, the truth was, no one could. They all knew what this day was. They all knew this was going to be how I chose to act today. "You take anything?"

"I took an asprin." I mumbled, letting my head drop to the table as Alice came back inside form letting Milo, my dog, out. She turned off the heat on the stove and poured me a glass of hot coco. "Thanks."

"You know, we could have gone away this weekend." Alice reminded me, putting Milo's water bowl down.

"I'm not going to run, Alice."

"Not running...but not torturing yourself." She whispered.

"I would have come back and seen the clean up...or seen them driving through town as they came home from the honeymoon." I pointed out. "Until they go back to Boston, I'm never going to get away from them and their happiness."

"I know...but I hate seeing you do this to yourself." Edward butted in.

"Look, thanks for the concern...but I broke it off with him." I reminded them. "Not the other way around. He is free to marry whoever he wants to." I said, grabbing a piece of toast and walking into my room, shutting the door and bringing out my 'box' and I set it on the bed, opening it carefully. I pulled out Milo's first dog collar he'd bought, the stuffed sea otter he got me on our first date to the zoo...even the engagement ring he gave to me when he proposed.

I pulled the ring out of the velvet box, and looked at it for the first time in years. We had gotten engaged young, and he didn't have a lot of money to spend on a ring, but it was the most precious thing I owned...at the time. I felt tears forming in my eyes...and quickly put the ring away, and closed the box, putting it back on the shelf in my closet.

"You'll never get over him if you keep those things." Edward said, coming out of no where.

"Ever here of knocking, Edward?" I scolded, making sure to cover the box with a blanket. I had known Edward since his family moved in next door when we were only a year old. Our families seemed to have the perfect lives; always having cookouts, always buying something for someone, just always with each other. But, our perfect lives didn't last very long. When Edward was only six, his house caught fire after his father didn't put his cigarette out completely. I awoke to my mother pulling me out of bed, rushing me outside incase the flames spread to our house. The four of us stood by the curb, anxiously waiting for them to come out of the house. Edward, soon stumbled out of the house, but no one else followed him.

By the time help arrived, the house was engulfed in flames and only Edward had survived. Edward wasn't the same, but it didn't take long for him to bounce back. After months of fighting, and talking about it, we officially adopted Edward and he was legally a Swan.

"Look, you can talk to me." He said, sitting down beside me.

"There isn't anything to talk about." I told him. "Carlisle...he moved on."

"You know there is more to it than that."

'Why is everyone trying to shrink me?" I huffed. "Why can't I be okay with what's happening in the park?"

"Because, we know when you're lying, Bells." He told me. "I've known you for twenty-four years. You can't fool me."

"Well, maybe I've become so good at it...you think I'm not fooling you."

"What?" He asked, forcing his smile away. "You were engaged, Bella. It's okay to be upset that he's marrying someone else."

"Well, I'm not." I assured him. "And it would be a lot easier to cope with if everyone would stop bugging me about it!"

"Okay," He shrugged, holding his hands up in defense. "Okay. You win. We won't pester you about it anymore."

'Thank you." I said as he left the room. After another hour of moping, I heard Milo wining at my door. I grabbed his leash, and opened the door, hooking him in. I was almost out the door, almost out of the world of questions, when both of them caught me.

"Bells? Where're you going?" Alice asked me.

"I'm taking Milo for a walk." I mumbled before turning the door knob.

"Here, I'll take him." Edward offered.

"He's my dog, Edward. I can take him." I insisted, pulling the leash away from.

"Bella, you know where you are going to end up." Alice told me.

"I'm a big girl, Alice. I can walk my dog and watch things I don't really wanna watch all on my own." I spat out before slamming the door shut. It was a good walk with Milo. He ran, pulling ahead until I finally stopped him at the park. There she was. Gorgeous, and walking down the aisle to my guy. This should be my day...but I screwed it up and it wasn't anymore.

_"The past is like a handful of dust. It filters through your fingers disappearing little by little"_

I remembered an old movie trailer saying. But, it was right. The past I had with Carlisle was gone now because of me, and he didn't want me anymore. He wanted her. Esme Platt. Soon to be Esme Cullen.

_"I wish for one day I could go back. In another life, I would do things differently."_

I did. I wanted so badly to go back to the day I let him walk away. The day my fear got the best of me. I would forever be full of regret, and sorrow for that split instant of stupidity. I heard the music start, and looked up to see him walking down the aisle, looking hot as hell in his tux.

"This should be my day." I whispered to myself as I leaned against a lamp post. "I should be the one in white." I said, beginning to finally cry. "I should be saying I do, and I should be the one kissing him when we're pronounced husband and wife." I cried.

I was an idiot. I let Carlisle get away...and I didn't even fight for him.


	2. Standing at my Door

**Chapter One: Standing at my Door**

* * *

**Seven Years Earlier**

"Hey, you wanna go to Port Angelas?" Edward asked from the doorway.

"Do you even have to ask?" I asked, standing up and grabbing my hat. "Let's go." I said, leading the way to the garage. It wasn't a long drive, and honestly the drive with Edward was half the fun. I nearly cried when I saw the **SALE** sign in the window, and ran inside, only wanting to buy more books I really didn't need.

"Now, remember, you might have to finish most of these before leaving for school." Edward pointed out as he looked at the back cover of a book.

"Edward...I'll have most of them read by middle of July." I pointed out, rounding a corner...and into someone else. I almost cringed at the sound of books hitting the ground. I bent down to help whoever it was pick them up, without even looking to see the person.

"Sorry." I mumbled, handing the person the books and finally looking up at him. I had to admit, he was attractive, but I wasn't dying to jump on him.

"Hey, don't worry about it." He assured me. "I'm Carlisle."

"Carlisle?" I asked, trying not to laugh. "What...are you from the seventeenth century or something?"

"As a matter of fact..it's a family name." He said, standing straighter. "There are three generations named Carlisle in my family."

"Oh, you poor poor souls."

"Shut up. And how is your name any better than mine?"

"Because mine means beautiful." I said smugly. "I'm Bella."

"Oh wow. Original." He snorted, trying to hide his smile.

"At least it's normal!" I laughed. "So, do you live here in Port Angeles or what?"

"Or what."

"Do you have a girlfriend_ Carlisle_?" I asked. I hadn't known the kid for more than five minutes and I already felt this connection to him. A type of pull towards him. He was hot as hell and wasn't some sensitive guy like most of the gusy form my high school were.

"No...why do you care? Looking?"

"Hell no would I date you." I joked. "I was only asking because you're a huge ass hole and I would feel bad for that girl..you know if she was real."

"Oh come on. You've known me for five minutes and you are already dying to date me."

"Oh am I?"

"Yes. I can see it in your eyes." He said, looking at me the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I did want to go on a date with him, maybe take him home and fuck him...but I wasn't going to let him win. Letting him win would give him all the cards in this relationship...he had to really earn a date with me.

"Well, you're looking in the wrong eyes." I told him, rolling my eyes at him. "I don't even know where you live?"

"I live in Forks. It's about an hour away." He told me, causing me to just stare. He didn't look like a kid who just moved here, but I had never seen him around and as far as I was aware, no houses had been sold in a while. "I go to school here in Port Angeles though, I'm here a lot."

"Oh...rich boy huh?" I joked, making my way through the aisles of books, and noticing the attire he was wearing. American Eagle, Hollister, Nike...he was the plaster boy for preppy, overpriced retail story.

"No...just not a small town kinda kid." He shrugged. "But, yes, we are rich."

"Rich and cocky I see."

"Dad's a doctor." He told me. "He got a big offer to come here and work."

"Let me guess, you're following in his footsteps?" I guessed, and by the look of pride and more cockiness in his eyes, I had guessed correctly. "Where?"

"Washington State." He told me, nodding his head at me.

"Early admission?"

"How'd you guess?" He jokingly asked.

"Hey, Bella. You about ready?" I heard Edward ask form behind me.

"Fuck toy?" Carlisle asked, tilting his head at me.

"Gross. No, he's basically my brother...not that it's any of your business." I said, walking towards the checkout counter with my stack full of books.

"Go out with me." Carlisle asked...no demanded.

"No way." I spat back.

"Why not?"

"Because you're a cocky, selfish, money boy who only wants to date me to prove a point."

"Observent." He agreed with me. "But, you want it."

"No I don't." I lied. "Why would I want to go out with you?"

"Because, the way you're fidgeting. The way you keep looking me up and down, wondering what could be underneath my t-shirt, they fact that you seem to hate me so much...yet you are continuing to converse with me."

"So?"

"So..I get what I want." He told me bluntly. "Always. And, I wanna go out with you."

"Well, money boy isn't going to get what he wants this time."

"Yes, I will." He said smugly as the cashire gave me my bag of books. "Just you wait. After the tenth time I come around, you'll be so sick of m you'll say yes."

"Goodbye, Carlisle." I huffed, following Edward out of the store. I follwed Edward to the car, but I really wasn't there. I wanted so badly to say yes to him, but I couldn't see myself dating a guy like that. A guy who knows what he wants, and then always gets it. It wasn't who I was, and he didn't seem like the kind of guy to ask out middle class girls like myself. But, he was really fucking hot, and I was really board. But, I promised myself I wouldn't give into his looks, or my being board.

"Did that snooty kid ask you out?" Edward asked as we were practically.

"Yeah." I snorted. "I didn't say yes, though."

"Why the hell not?" He demanded. "Bella, you haven't dated anyone since Mike...your woman parts are going to start growing cobwebs!"

"You're disgusting, Edward." I told him, hitting him with my book. "And, no they aren't."

"When was the last time you got laid?"

"It hasn't been that long." I tried pointing out. "Okay...since Mike."

"Since MIKE?" He yelled, pulling into the driveway. "That was like six months ago."

"Just because I don't fuck every guy I meet." I said, rolling my eyes. "You shouldn't be calling me out on my non-sex life. I should be calling you out on your man whoring ways!"

"I am no a man whore!" He defended.

"Yah...and I was attracted to that kid in the book store."

"You know, for that to work...it has to be wrong." He smirked.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him, causing him to only focus on the road. "I wasn't attracted to him!"

"Your drool seemed to be thinking differently."

"Whatever, Edward." I snorted, getting out of the car and slamming the door shut. I spent most of the night in my room, pacing pack and forth, trying not to think about Carlisle. But, the more I didn't want to think about him, the more I thought about him. Edward was right. I hadn't had a relationship since I cheated on Mike and ended things. I loved Mike, I did...but there was no spark anymore and I was drunk and Eric was there and available. I was getting a little tired of not getting any action, and Carlisle seemed like the 'no commitment' kinda guy.

But, we really would have nothing in common. He was used to having everything handed to him. He didn't have to work for what he wanted, and he admitted her got everything he wanted. I, on the other hand, paid for as much as I could. We weren't poor, and we weren't going broke, but I felt like if I could contribute something, I would. I had a job over at the smaller, more local bookstore and I loved every minute of it.

"So, Edward told me there was a guy?" Alice asked after she came home from her summer job at one of the small clothing stores. "What is he talking about?"

"There was a guy at the bookstore today. He was cocky, and selfish, and just plain annoying who was...hitting on me...kinda." I explained, barely looking up from _Tom Sawyer_.

"A bookstore guy?" She asked, sitting down and taking my book out of my hand. "Was he cute?"

"Very." I agreed almost instantly. "But, I would never date him."

"Why not?" SHe wined.

"He's not my type."

"He was at a bookstore!"

"Alice, every guy who goes into a bookstore isn't a bookworm. He might have been getting a present, or a book for school."

"Maybe." She agreed. "But, how many times do you meet a cute guy in a bookstore?"

"Almost never."

"Ding. Ding. Ding." She 'dinged' "It was fate!"

"Alice, come on. Get real." I said, and she immediately dropped the subject.

* * *

The next week passed by peacefully and I was hoping Carlisle had forgotten about our encounter at the bookstore. But, when I walked out of my house with a handful of books, there he was, leaning against his very expensive looking car. I tried to pretend I didn't notice him, but it was hard when he came up to me, taking the books out of my hand.

"How did you find me?" I demanded, opening the door to my truck. "You stalking me?"

"No, Miss Assumptions." He muttered. "I used my sister's yearbook from last year to find your last name...then looked you up in the phonebook."

"Oh, you're right. Not stalking me at all." I laughed, trying to step into my truck, but the little annoying dick head he was, cut in front of me. "Do you mind?"

"Not really."

"You are never going to get a girlfriend, did you know that?"

"Maybe you're right about that...but I'm right about you wanting to go on a date with me."

"Are you always this annoying?" I asked, trying not to laugh. "Because, if you are...I feel bad for everyone who comes into contact with you...including myself. Now, would you please move?"

"Why? It isn't like you're going anywhere important."

"Excuse me?"

"You came out of the house...wearing a U2 shirt, and torn converse...and a mountain of books?" He said, it coming out as a question. "You aren't going anywhere."

"Just because I'm not going to a gala, doesn't mean I'm not going anywhere." I seethed. "Now...move." I said, pushing him out of the way. Either he really was that uncoordinated, or he was really begging for attention, he fell to the pebble filled road that was my driveway. "Shit. Are you okay?" I asked, slamming the door.

"Yeah." He mumbled, attempting to stand up. "Don't let me stand in your way."

"It was an accident." I said, looking down at his knee. "You want me to clean that up for you?"

"You would do me a favor?" He asked, bringing his hand down to his knee.

"Don't touch. You're hands are dirty, you'll infect it." I told him, swatting his hand away, and leading him inside. "And, I'm not heartless...you are just that annoying."

"Really, I'm touched." He joked, as I got a bandaid and peroxide from the medicine cabinet. I came out, and he was standing by the mantle, looking at all my wonderful pictures from middle school.

"No!" I screeched.

"You were a cutie." He laughed, coming over and sitting in the chair. "I was wandering how you got your teeth so straight."

"Braces really do work." I laughed, pouring the peroxide on a cotton ball. "This is gonna sting."

"I've had scrapes before...but thanks for the warning." He told me as I applied the cotton ball to his skinned knee. I had done this to multiple kids who fell on their bikes outside our house, or my idiot cousins, but I have never done it to a guy who I was majorly crushing on. After I was sure I had thoroughly cleaned the scrape, I put the bandaid on and began cleaning up the mess.

"Thanks." He whispered. "I don't know what I would have done without you." He laughed.

"A lot of kids fall on their bikes here...the road just wasn't meant for bikes." I pointed out. "I'm use to it."

"Well, I should be going." He said, opening the door. "Same time tomorrow?" He asked before I slammed the door in his face. I didn't even bother going to see Angela to swap books for the summer, I barely knew this kid and he constantly had me worked up over him. I wish I had the power to just say yes, but I couldn't. No way would I give into some little rich kid who got what he wanted constantly.

* * *

"Did you get the tickets?" Angela asked excitedly a week after Carlisle showed up at my house.

"No. My Chemical Romance sells out in nanoseconds." I mumbled. "They were on sale for like a minute."

"No MCR?" She asked, putting her lip out.

"No MCR." I told her, feeling completely down. Angela and I had been listening to them since before they were popular, and have been dying to see them and our folks had finally given in. "We'll get 'em next time."

"We've been saying that since they first came to seattle." She pointed out.

"You girls looking for Mt Chemical Romance tickets?" An all to familiar voice asked from behind the clothes rack.

"Unbelievable." I whispered under my breath. "How the hell did you finad us here? Are you stalking me?"

"Again, no." He huffed. "Rosalie's birthday is next week. Gotta get her something awesome."

"Rosalie?" Angela asked.

"My younger sister." He answered, without taking his eyes off of me.

"Can't you afford like...a sports car?" I asked, only wanting him to leave so he'd leave me alone. "what are you doing in a thrift store?"

"My parents have money...I do earn what I spend." He defended. "And, she's into vintage stuff. Angela, will you excuse us?" He asked, and she graciously bowed out, leaving us alone once again.

"You are never going to get what you want." I huffed, as I pretended to look through the racks.

"Yes, but if you agree to go out with me, you will get what you want." He said, holding out his phone to ticket master, showing the MCR tickets he had. "Go on a date with me, you get the tickets."

"Are you bribing me?"

"I told you...I always get what I want." He said, almost rolling his eyes. "And I want you."

"We barely know each other."

"But, we can get to know each other...if you'd just say yes to me."

"If I say yes...Ang and I get the tickets?"

"Yes."

"And you'll stop hounding me?"

"Yes."

"Fine." I finally answered, shaking my head in disbelief. "I will go on one date with you."

"Excellent." He said, smiling like an idiot and skipping off. This was going to be the most interesting date I'd ever been on.


	3. I Hear Your Heart Beat

**Chapter Two: I Hear Your Heart Beat**

* * *

I stood in front of my mirror a week later, wandering why the hell I agreed to go out with him. I'm sure he was a nice guy under all that ass, and I was positive he'd be great in bed...but he wasn't for me. He was so full of himself, and he had to resort to bribing me to go out with him. But, he did follow through with his part of the deal and dropped off the tickets yesterday, so I knew he wasn't totally full of shit.

"Bells!" I heard Alice call up the stairs. I took a deep breath, grabbed my bag, and headed downstairs.

"You look nice." He commented, and I tried not to blush.

"Thank you." I whispered. "Shall we?" I asked, motioning to the door.

"Yeah, let's go." He replied, opening the door for me. "It was nice to meet you, Alice."

"You too!" She said excitedly before grabbing my arm. "Be nice." She hissed before I broke free from her grasp and followed Carlisle out to the driveway. I stopped in my tacks when I saw him standing next to a red Mustang in prestine condition.

"You have two cars?" I asked as he opened the door for me. "What happened to the Mercedes?"

"That was my dad's car. The Mustang was in the shop that day." He answered me. "So, the zoo sound good?"

"Sure. Predictable, but good." I smirked.

"Nothing pleases you, does it?"

"Not when I was bribed into a date, no." I answered, buckling my seatbelt. Since there was no zoo in Forks, we were forced to drive the hour to Port Angeles, but it was actually pleasant. He put on one of the oldest My Chemical Romance CD's for the majority of the ride, and then to my surprise, Radiohead, one of my favorites.

"Oh, I love this song." I whispered when True Love Waits came on the speakers. He looked over at me, completely shocked that I even knew this song. "What?"

"You...you know Radiohead?"

"Yeah...it's been one of my favorite bands for as long as I can remember."

"Well, we do have something in common." He laughed, pulling into the zoo parking lot. I wasn't going to lie, he was a perfect gentleman the entire date. Always letting me get in front of him to see the animals, insisting on buying my soft pretzel, and not acting at all like himself. It was a new side of him, and I was beginning to like him.

"Sea otters!" I cried as we approached their tank. "They're so cute." I whispered, looking at two of them swimming around together. I turned around to say something to Carlisle, but he had disappeared. "Carlisle?"

"Yeah?" He asked, coming back to me, holding a bag with the zoo's logo on the front. "Here." He said, handing me the bag.

"What's this?"

"Open it and you shall see." He said, smiling from ear to ear as I pulled out the stuffed animal he gave me. "You like it?"

"Yes." I whispered, looking down at the sea otter he'd bought me. "It's perfect, thank you." After we walked around the entire zoo, it was time for the date to end. And, honestly, I didn't want it to. If it did, he would go back to be the rich jerk I knew him to be, and I didn't want him to be that again.

"So, Bella, tell me your life ambition." He asked as we approached our halfway point to Forks.

"I want to be a journalist. A big shot." I answered. "Like Maureen Dowd."

"Now that is something I can relate to."

"You can relate to me wanting to be a journalist?" I asked, confused.

"I wanna minor in journalism." He told me. "Washington has a great journalism program."

"I know, that's why I chose there." I said, and I could feel myself growing hot. I was never getting rid of this kid. "And...no offense but how much do you know about journalism?"

"You know Anderson Cooper?"

"Yes I do."

"I watched him during his broadcasts during Hurricane Katrina and just...wanted to be something. Be someone."

"Aren't doctor's a someone?" I asked.

"Yes, and there are doctors that are house held names." He agreed. "But, I don't know. I wanted to be that person. That person who evryone knows...for making a difference."

"Doctor's are known to make major differences in people's lives." I pointed out, turing down the music. "Doctor's saved my father."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We lived in LA when I was little." I began to tell the story. "And, he was out doing a job...a shooting at a local school. He was the first one to get there along with his partner...and one of the gunmen came up from behind him...shot him in the back."

"Wow."

"Yeah, thankfully, it just missed the spine and he wasn't handicapped or anything...but he lost a lot of blood and...we almost lost. him." I said, begging myself not to lose it in front of Carlisle. "After he was okay, we left LA and came here."

"Never thought you'd share anything about your personal life with me."

"Never assume." I mumbled. "You don't know me, Carlisle. At all."

"And you don't know me." He said, pulling into my driveway. "So stop thinking I'm so little rich boy who gets everything he wants."

"You said so yourself."

"Yeah...I get what I want by earning it." He defended. "I earned the money to pay for this car...I earned the money to pay for the concert tickets. My mom and dad help me out like parents do, but they don't spoil me or my brother and sister."

"If you aren't some spoiled rich kid...stop acting like one." I said opening the door. "I probably would have said yes the first time you asked had you acted like yourself." I told him, slamming the door and walking inside. Alice came running downstairs when she heard the door shut and grabbed my arm, leading me into the kitchen.

"How was the date?" She insisted, shoving a mug of coffee in my hands. "Was it good? Bad? Amazing? You do it?"

"Did we do it?" I asked, trying not to choke. "Alice, no."

"Well, I don't know." She shrugged. "Details please."

"We went to the zoo."

"Zoo is good." She pointed out. "Zoo's let you talk..get to know each other."

"Yeah. We walked around and talked a lot...he bought me a stuffed animal and then we left." I told her. "Oh, and he likes Radiohead too."

"He's a Radiohead?" She asked. The two of us had completely different tastes in everything, including music. "That's a plus."

"Yeah, it is."

"So, you gonna go out with him again?" She pestered.

"No." I shook my head. "We had a deal. He gave me the concert tickets if I went out with."

"You didn't just go out with him for the tickets, Bella." She insisted. "You have a thing for this guy."

"Alice, we made a deal. I was just going through with my part." I said, grabbing my mug and going back upstairs. I spent the rest of the day, making a pro/con list about Carlisle. It was dorky, and people just didn't understand why I did things like this. But, with a guy like him, I needed to be thorough or I'd end up getting my heart broken. At the end of the day, I had ten pro's, and two con's...and I was still hesitant for dating him.

* * *

"How ready are you for tonight?" Angela asked me as we stood in the CD store the morning of the concert.

"Is that even a question?"I asked, putting a Clarks CD into our basket. "We've been waiting for this since we were six, listening to Skylines and Turnstiles...of course I'm ready!"

"So, you never really told me how your date went with Carlisle." She mentioned, dropping a Rolling Stones CD in the basket.

"Ang...you have like four copies of that CD."

"Not the _original_ original." She pointed out. "Now, don't change the subject."

"It was fine." I said. "We went to the zoo, got lunch, he bought me a stuffed animal and he drove me home."

"He bought you a stuffed animal?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"That says something about him." She nearly screeched.

"Why?"

"Because, guys who are just dating you to get what they want...don't buy you something like a stuffed animal on a first date...and give you concert tickets."

"Look, he got what he wanted." I huffed, rounding the corner. "We went out, and I got us the tickets."

"For free I might add."

"He refused to let me give him the money." I pointed out. "But, nothing is going to happen between us. We, are over." We finished up our day at the CD store and headed back to my place to get ready for the concert. We had it in our heads that we would be waiting by their tour bus, they would come out and whisk us away with them for the rest of the tour, so we were sure to look extra good.

"How do I look?" She asked, spinning around.

"Good...but it's missing something." I mused, looking over at her. She looked good in everything she wore, but this was a big night. Everything needed to be perfect. "Here."

"A beenie?" She asked, as I put it on her head. "That's your thing."

"So, why can't it be yours too?" I asked, looking her over. "Perfect. How's my outfit?"

"Good...but change into your aqua Chucks." She said, and I nodded, walking over to my closet. "You don't think Carlisle's going to be there...do you?"

"He gave us the tickets, Ang." I said, tying my shoes. "Why would he be there?"

"Because...I don't think he would give us his only tickets to what I assume is one of his favorite bands." She suggested. "Do you?"

"I don't know, Angela." I shrugged. "He was so persistent in going out with me."

"But, he didn't know who your favorite band was...or that we would have stuck out of luck when buying the tickets."

"He might be there, Ang." I said, becoming annoyed. "I don't know." We spent another hour looking in the mirror, perfecting our make-up before grabbing the tickets and heading out the door. Seattle was a good three hours from Forks, but Angela and I made the best of it. We put in the first few CD's of MCR, and jammed out all the way there. We were completely buzzed...not alcoholically...by the time we arrived at the venue.

We ran up to the line, and got out tickets out, handing them to the ticket guy proudly. Carlisle had managed to get great seats, and we were in the second row on the floor. We were so close to them we would probably be able to see the sweat on Gerard's face. We waited anxiously and watched the time on our watches pass as we counted down the minutes to seven-thirty.

"Fancy meeting you here." Carlisle's voice said from behind me, just as the concert was about to start. I turned around to see him, with a very pretty blonde girl, looking cocky as ever.

"Hi." I mumbled, not taking my eyes off the blonde. "Who's your friend?"

"Bella, this is Rosalie." He said, pointing to the girl next to him. "My younger sister."

"Sister?" I asked too eagerly. "Sister. Nice to meet you, Rosalie."

"Yeah." She agreed, turning to face the stage.

"I didn't think you were gonna be here." I pointed out.

"You think I'd give you my only tickets to MCR?" He asked, laughing. "You're crazy, Swan."

"Told you." Angela whispered in my ear.

"Well, then how did you have extra tickets to give away?"

"My brother's friend came in this week from New York. Thought I'd surprise him and take them to a concert."

"So, where are they?"

"I forgot that Harvey doesn't like concerts...first one he went to he fell on got a concussion." He explained. "Emmett told me to give the tickets to someone else."

"So...it was just a coinsidence?"

"Exactly." He said before the lights in the house dimmed, and the stage lights came on. The crown erupted in applause as the spot lights came on and saw four figures walking on stage. Unfortunately, it was only the opening act and we still had to wait another half hour before they really came on stage...but we were that much closer. Neon Tree's played their final song and it was time! Angela and I began screaming, jumping up and down, and hugging each other as four figures came into the light.

"Hello Seattle!" Gerard yelled into the microphone. I glanced over and saw Rosalie pulling a flask out of her purse, and handing it to Carlisle. "Are you ready?" Gerard screamed again, causing an even bigger reaction. The venue was immediately filled with the sounds of Mikey Ways bass, and we were off.

We were halfway through Blood, when Carlisle tapped me, handing me the flask. Without thinking, I took it from him, taking a big gulp form it. It was strong, and made me cringe, but I took another sip before handing it back to Carlisle. I noticed the flask was mainly for Carlisle, and Rosalie didn't drink from it. Angela took a sip here and there, but it was Carlisle and I making it disappear.

By the time they were playing their final song, Carlisle and I were completely gone, and I was holding onto Angela for support standing. They said their final goodbye's, and Angela grabbed my waist, dragging me out of the building. I saw Rosalie pulling Carlisle out, and to his Mustang. But, it looked like she wasn't old enough to drive yet, and stood by the car, desperately dialing her phone.

"They're stuck." I noticed as Angela pushed me into the car. "They need help."

"I'm sure they'll find help, Bella." She tried telling me, as she tried to close the door. But, I was drunk as hell and wasn't thinking at all, and decided it was a good idea to go over there. I pushed her out of the way to get out, and stumbled over to the,

"BELLA!" Carlisle yelled. "It was a good concert."

"Carlisle! You are such a fucking idiot!" Rosalie yelled as she came back over. "We're stuck!"

"Stuck?" He asked, looking like he was about to cry. "How are we stuck?"

"Because, you thought it would be a good idea to get smashed...and I can't drive yet, Carlisle!"

"Hey, we have a reservation at a Holiday Inn...we got a double room." Angela said as she came up and caught me from falling to the ground. "You two take one of the rooms."

"Okay." Rosalie nodded, dragging out her phone again. "Thanks." She said, walking away with her phone pressed to her ear.

"Do you know how fucking hot you look in that outfit?" I asked Carlisle as Angela tried dragging be away from the Mustang and into my car. Once everyone was inside, and Carlisle had passed out, Angela began driving us towards our hotel. She was pissed at me, and she ahd a right to be. I got drunk, and was running to Carlisle on our night. I began feeling terrible as she pulled into the parking lot.

Rosalie and Ang kept us in the car until they had our room numbers, and knew where the rooms were. Carlisle and I had somewhat sobered up, and we were mostly able to get up to the room ourselves.

"Hey, Rosalie, would you rather share a room with me?" Angela asked as she popped her head in their room.

"YES!" Rosalie nearly screamed. She came rushing through, and nearly pushed me through the door to where Carlisle was. He came out of the bathroom, only his boxers on, and I stopped breathing. His abs were perfectly sculpted, almost like someone took a chizzle and just started pecking away.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" He asked, his words still slurred from whatever was in that flask. "Hello?"

"You're really fucking hot." I said to him, as we inched closer and closer to each other. I felt him put his hand on my lower hip, causing me to shiver. I looked in his eyes, and saw only lust, and need. His lips crashed onto mine, neadfully and pushed me down onto the bed. He reached for the hem of my shirt, and I lifted my arms, allowing him to slip it off of me. He growled at me, pushing me further onto the bed, and began kissing down my neck.

He was good. Really good. He had me moaning, and shouting with the first kiss of my neck. I was shaking my the time my shoes and jeans had come off. He moved his hand to cup my hot center, and I had to cover my mouth so I wouldn't shout...his sister was right next door. I wrapped my legs around his waist, creating the friction I so desperately craved.

He reached around me, and unclasped my bra as he leaned down and kissed the top of each of my breasts. I pushed his boxers down with my feet, and gulped when I saw what he had under there. He was big...huge. He smiled smugly as he slid my panties down, leaving us both completely bare.

"Condom?" He asked me.

"Birth control." I said, frantically shaking my head. "Just fuck me!" I pleaded. He waisted no time in thrusting into me, causing me to forget about Rosalie and Angela, and scream for dear life. It had been a while, and he'd barely been inside of me for two minutes, and I felt like I was already about to lose it. But, I hung on and we were both covered in sweat as we yelled out in pleasure.

"Fuck, Carlisle!" I moaned as I came down from my high. It took both of us a few movements to gain movement back, and he finally rolled off of me, panting still.

"That was..." He said, pulling the covers up. "Damn."

'Yeah." I agreed, looking over at him. "When can we do that again?" I asked, rolling on top of him.


	4. Hello Hello

**Chapter Three: Hello. Hello.**

* * *

I woke up the next morning, my head pounding. I stared at the ceiling for a minute before facing what I knew was coming. I turned my head and there he was. Laying next to me...naked...in bed. I was sober enough when we did what we did that I didn't completely forget what happened, but it was very blurry what I do remember. I watched as his eyes opened, and remember what happened.

"Hey." He whispered, turning onto his back.

"Hi." I greeted, sitting up, being sure not to let the sheet drop. "I can't believe we let that happen."

"Seven times!" He exclaimed.

"Seven times?"

"Six or seven, yeah." He answered, and I didn't miss his smirk. "Why don't you like me?"

"It's not just you." I defended. "It's...your kind."

"My kind?"

"The snobby rich people who think they're entitled to everything they want." I snapped. "It's not you personally."

"Oh. Makes me feel way better."

"Look. Edward dated a rich girl once...and got his heart broken." I began to explain. "We knew her for a while...she lived next door to us in Forks before her father got elected mayor. Once she was away from us, and they met up again...they...or rather he...began taking an interest in a relationship. She was a year younger, and didn't have her license yet."

"Okay?"

"So, she relied on him for rides. For getting her to and from places...and then for sex." I explained. "Once she turned sixteen and daddy bought her a car, she dumped Edward for another rich kid. He was heartbroken."

"Not all people who are rich...are snobs."

"Really?" I snorted. "Because you admitted you always got what you wanted."

"I told you...I do try and earn what I get." He defended. "I do chores around the house to help pay for my stuff...and when I have the money I do get what I want."

"Oh." I said, suddenly feeling very ashamed.

"I'm really not a bad guy, Bella." He whispered. "I really do care about you."

"You barely know me though!"

"I do though." He told me. "I get this vibe from you...the kind of vibe that tells me everything I need to know."

"Like what?"

"Well, this wasn't a vibe, but your a book warm. You are obviously a band junkie and probably know more about some bands than they do of themselves. You're quiet around people you don't know too well, but once you get to know them you're fun, and talkative, and amazing."

"Stop it." I whispered, feeling my face get hot.

"I'm serious, Bella." He told me, gripping my chin and forcing me to look at him. "That date was one of the best dates I'd ever had."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"We're going to college in three months." I argued.

"The same college, Bella!" He said. "This is a good thing."

"Let me...let me think about it." I finally said. I did want to say yes, but I also didn't want to get hurt. I wanted to trust what he was saying was true. That the date we shared really was amazing for him. That, he wasn't just using me as arm candy.

"So...can I ask you something?" He finally said after I got dressed.

"Maybe."

"Did someone cheat on you or something?"

"Why?" I snapped.

"Because...it just doesn't see like I'm the only reason you're hesitating."

"No. No one cheated on me...that I know of." I laughed. "My last relationship was from the middle of freshman year...to the middle of senior year."

"Wow." He laughed, finally getting out of bed and finding his boxers.

"Yeah. We were crazy for each other." I explained. "And, nothing bad happened to cause our breakup. We just...grew tired of each other. We were too young to be..so committed. There was no spark left for Mike and I."

"I can't imagine anyone getting tired of you."

"Trust me. Stick around and you'll find out why." I laughed. "Anyway, the two of us ended on really good terms and are still on really good terms."

"You're friends with your ex-boyfriend?"

"Yep. And, it's great. Towards the end, we were more of each other's best friend than a couple anyway."

"I see. Friend zone." He smiled. After getting dressed, the two of us decided it was best to face the music and knocked on the door leading to Rosalie and Angela's room. Angela looked disappointed, and I felt terrible. This night was supposed to be our night and I spent it with the guy she thought I couldn't stand, and Rosalie just looked pissed off.

"You guys wanna go get something to eat?" Angela offered. I felt like I was going to throw up with the mention of food, and by the shade of green Carlisle was turning, I had a good idea of how he was feeling.

"Sorry. Not hungry." I told her, not missing the subtle drop of her head. "But, I probably will be once lunch rolls around. Lunch on the road?"

"Lunch on the road sounds great." She agreed, putting the rest of her things in her bag. We stuck around for a bit longer, but it was time to face the music and return home. We dropped Rosalie and Carlisle off at the arena where there car was, and we were on the road in no time. Thankfully, she didn't bring up the fact it was supposed to be our night, and we replayed the entire nights in our head, with the aid of their CD.

"So, from the screams I'm going to guess he was good?" Angela asked as we neared Forks. I cringed at the thought of her hearing us, especially since we'd tried to be quiet.

"You heard us?" I asked, sinking lower into my seat.

"Not the first or second time, but the third time on...you two got louder." She laughed.

"Sorry." I whispered.

"Don't be. One of us needs to be getting sex."

"Very true." I agreed. Her boyfriend was brought up in a Christian home, and all though they fooled around, they still hadn't taken their relationship to the next level. She continually tells me she doesn't need to have sex if I keep having mind blowing sex...it's enough for both of us. "And...oh my god!"

"Oh! I had a feel he'd be good in bed!" She squealed.

"I mean...oh my god!" I said again. "It was just..mind blowing."

"I can imagine." She mused. "So, did you two stop humping long enough to talk?"

"Humping, Ang?" I asked. "And, yes we did."

"And?"

"I told him about Lauren." I shrugged. "He had a right to know why I don't like rich kids."

"One rich girl doing that says nothing about the rest of them." She pointed out.

"I know...he told me that too. I don't know...am I crazy?"

"No." She answered immediately. "He seems...right for you. And don't let the fact that he's going to the same school, slip out of your head."

"What does that have anything to do with it?"

"You are a girlfriend, girl." She told me. "You don't like having two week flings."

"Right."

"So, since you two are going to the same school, you won't have to worry about it being a fling."

"Just because we're going to the same school, doesn't mean it won't end up being a fling." I explained to her. "And, what if everything he told me is crap?"

"What if its not?" She asked, making me really think. He could be telling the one hundred percent truth with me. He could not be full of crap, and really like me. But, I refused to get hurt. Angela dropped the subject, and let me think. I liked him, and he really was the best I'd ever had. I decided I was done thinking, and making lists about him; he was either good for me or he wasn't. Simple as that.

* * *

A week had gone by since the concert, and I hadn't heard from Carlisle. I imagined Rosalie had tattled on him for the drunken night, and I trusted I would hear from him soon. But, I never agreed to anything, and maybe he was scarred I'd reject him, I had to accept he wasn't mine. But, I continued my reading check-list and waited pathetically by my phone.

Finally, after a week and a half, he came back into my life. I rushed downstairs after looking out my window, seeing his red Mustang.

"Hey." He said, his hands shoved in his pocket.

"Hi." I whispered, grabbing his arm and leading him outside. "We need to talk."

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't call you...they refused to let me out of the house cause Rosalie's a fucking bitch and ratted me out for drinking." He explained.

"I figured." I said awkwardly. "Look, Carlisle..."

"Bella, it's okay. You made yourself clear the other day."

"I did?"

"You have to 'think about it?' I know that means no."

"You don't know a thing." I defended. "I was just about to tell you...I decided I want you."

"You..what?" He asked, his eyes bulging out of my head. "You...want me?" He asked again, and the only way I knew to answer him was to push my lips against his. He hesitated, but he didn't wait long to warm up as he wrapped his hands around my waist, pushing me against the wall to my house. We were both breathless, and wanting more.

"Yes." I answered once we had out breath back. "I want you. In every way."

"I thought you were a girlfriend girl?" He asked, and I just remembered I had told him that on our date to the zoo. "You said you couldn't depend on me?"

"I didn't think I could...I thought you were like every other rich kid." I told him. "But, then I spent time with you...the most amazing day I could have asked for. Carlisle, I don't know where this is going...hell I don't know if it will last until dinner...but I want you for as long as I can have you."

"You can have me for as long as you want." He said, hugging me tightly. "I'm not going anywhere 'til you push me away or tell me to beat it."

"Beat it." I mumbled sarcastically, and he bought it. "Kidding."

"You are evil, Bella Swan."

"Annd you are too sensitive, Carlisle Cullen."

"Looks like we're a good match." He said, leaning in for a kiss. We stayed like this for a few minutes, before I heard the front door open. I looked over, and saw both Alice and Edward standing there, smirking like they'd just caught us in bed together. "Yes?" Carlisle asked, trying to make his voice extremely deep.

"Watcha doin'?" Edward asked, crossing his arms.

"Look, I'll talk to you later." I seethed. I just wanted time with Carlisle since most of the time we were together, I spent it trying to keep him at arms length. They smiled at us once more before going inside and the sound of the door closing, never gave me so much relief.

"You wanna get out of here?" He asked, releasing my waist. "Because, you know they're going to find a way to spy on us."

"Yeah," I laughed knowing it was one hundred percent true. "Let me get my bag. You wait in the car." I told him, going inside. I ignored the 'whoops' and whistles from the peanut gallery when I was inside, and practically ran outside to his car. I would never admit it, but one of the things I loved most about him...was the Mustang. I'd always wanted an old fashioned car.

"Where to?" He asked, putting the keys in the ignition.

"Somewhere with privacy." I told him, causing one of his gorgeous smiles. He led me to his car, and we sped off to the edge of town, just by La Push beach. "This works.

"I haven't been here in so long." I mused, stepping out of the car, looking out to the ocean.

"I've actually never been here." He told me, coming over and wrapping his hands around my waist. "I've looked at it, but never swam here."

"My dad is good friends with a few of the tribal guys who live in this area. We came here a lot for the summers...before everyone grew up and had their own lives." I laughed, thinking back to the countless days I spent here, playing in the sand with Jacob and Paul. Jacob and I would spend hours trying to create the perfect sand castle, and once we had it just the way we wanted it, Paul would come over and kick it over. We hated him for it, but once we had that bond fire going, everyone was friends again and were laughing and roasting marsh mellows like there was no tomorrow.

"Wish we could have gotten close to people." He mumbled, letting go of me and walking closer towards the beach."We moved around so much."

"Why?"

"Because of Dad's job." He told me, and suddenly tensed up.

"As a doctor?"

"He's more than just a doctor." He whispered.

"He's a robot?" I joked, trying to make the odd situation better.

"No...I don't think so anyway." He laughed. "Ever heard of...E.D.C. Firms?"

"Yeah, they buy a lot of smaller hospitals and make them a big deal." I answered. "I read they did wonders for St. Luke's in New York City."

"They did." He assured me. "You ever read an article about the CEO?"

"Yeah, Eric Cullen...got his undergrad from Harvard, and graduated from Yale at the top of his class. And, he's fixed, and worked with over twenty-five small hospitals all around the world." I began to tell him before I realized why he was really asking me this question. "Cullen?"

"Guilty." He shrugged. He wasn't just rich...he was the son of one of the most influential doctor's in the world. "I wasn't trying to hide it from you, but I didn't want you to think I was more snooty than you already did."

"Don't worry about it." I quickly told him. "I should have put it together. New York Times has done a number of articles on him and the company...and I've seen several newscasts with him on."

"You sure?" He asked, coming back over to me and wrapping his arms around me.

"Yes." I answered. "And, rich is rich. If your snooty...your snooty. It doesn't matter if your Bill Gates rich, or regular doctor rich." I laughed, leaning in for a kiss. We spent the rest of the afternoon together before my mother texted me, saying I had to be home for dinner. I knew we were moving fast, too fast maybe. I mean, we'd gone on one date and already drunkenly slept together. But, neither of us cared. It was nice to have someone who I knew would hold me, and talk to me for hours.

"Spill!" I heard Edward demand as I walked through the door.

"Were you two like waiting for me to get home? Creeps." I muttered, making my way to the stairs.

"Look, the other day you were complaining that you couldn't stand the kid." Alice pointed out. "Now, you're making out with him on the front porch?"

"Well, things change." I shrugged. "I really listened to him...and I really thought about it."

"He doesn't like a long term relationship guy." Edward suggested.

"He's not." I muttered. "But, he seems pretty serious about me."

"Okay, I just don't want you to get hurt." He whispered, and I knew he was thinking about Kasey. He really loved her, and she just threw him to the curb once she got what she wanted.

"Edward, not everyone who has money is going to be like Kasey."

"I know!" He tried defending, but he didn't. He swore off people like that, and girls for that matter. He had relationships that lasted for like two weeks, enough to have a few dates, and have sex. "But, he seems pretty snobby."

"If you get to know him, you might not think that." I suggested, walking upstairs.

* * *

June slowly slipped into away, and I felt my time with Carlisle was becoming more and more limited. He was constantly with his father, shadowing him at the hospital. But, when Edward's eighteenth birthday finally rolled around, all was good with the world. He was smart for his age, and his parents let him skip preschool, and was a kindergardener at age four, not five.

"I'm so glad you're finally eighteen." I laughed as I helped set up for the 'party' my parents were having for him. The real party wouldn't start until after eleven, down in the woods where all the parties were held.

"Yeah, now we can buy all those cigarettes and porn." He laughed, blowing up a balloon.

"Don't forget lottery tickets." Alice chimed in as the doorbell rang. I let the balloon I was blowing up go, causing it to fly across the room as I made my way to the front door. I was surprised to see Carlisle standing there, his hands dug in his pockets.

"Hey," I whispered, moving so he could walk inside. "What's up?"

"Nothing, I just needed to get out of my house."

"You have a fight with your dad again?" I asked. It seemed although they were a close family, they were constantly fighting. It was the three kids versus's their parents, and the parents always won. "Now what about?"

"Look, I don't really wanna talk about it." He spat. "You need help setting up?"

"Sure, can you take over for Alice?" I laughed as she tried to tape streamers to the ceiling. He smiled and then walked over to give her a boost. Since there was now four of us helping out, it took even less time and Alice took Edward out for his birthday lunch. Carlisle stayed silent pretty much the whole time, but wasn't rude about it. He answered questions when asked, and joined in every once in a while. I was new to this. Having a good boyfriend who I genuinely cared about, I didn't want to rock the boat to get him to talk to me.

"Wanna take a walk?" I asked after the party was in full swing. "Edward's over there with his buddies, he won't notice we're gone."

"Sure." He said, grabbing my hand and leading me outside. We walked for a while before he finally sat down in a big field not far from my house, and pulled me into his lap. "My parents want to meet you."

"Oh?" I asked, confused if this was what was bothering him. "When?"

"ASAP." He sighed. "I've never had a girlfriend. And, they aren't exactly ones for good first impressions."

"You dealt with my family." I laughed. "I'll be fine."

"I know." He agreed. "You're strong and don't give a shit. That's why I fell for you. But, I'm afraid of them."

"Afraid?"

"They don't like anyone, Bella." He sighed. "They'll eat you alive."

"Look, like you said...I don't give a shit." I laughed. "I'm in this relationship for you, not anyone else. I only care if you care about me."

"I do." He whispered.

"Then, everything will be fine." I whispered, leaning in and kissing him.


	5. Shaded with Patience

**Chapter Four: Shaded with Patience**

* * *

I took one last look in the mirror before turning off the light. Today was the day I was meeting Carlisle's parents, and although I would never admit it, was scared to death. These were some of the most prestigious people in the country, and I was dating their son. It was a heavy weight on my shoulder.

"You look beautiful, sweetie." My mother complimented as I walked down the stairs. "The red is a nice touch."

"Thanks, mom." I sighed as the doorbell rang. I answered it, and Carlisle was standing there, looking as tense as I've ever seen him. His hands were smashed in his pockets, and he just looked unhappy.

"You look gorgeous." He breathed as he led me to the car. "I know Emmett's gonna love you."

"Only Emmett?" I asked as I slid into the passenger side.

"Well, I know for a fact he's going to love you." He explained. "Unfortunately, I can't speak for everyone else."

"Oh well." I shrugged it off, trying to just be calm for him. We drove to the edge of town, and I looked up in awe at the house we were at. It was huge, and I'd never been this far out of town to see his house. It was Victorian looking, and I figured until they'd moved in, it had been abandoned. "Wow. This is where you live?"

"Yes it is." He smiled, grabbing my hand and leading me up the steps to the front porch. He carefully unlocked the door and we stepped into the biggest foyer I'd ever been in.

"You really live here?"

"I really live here." He laughed. He lead me through the foyer, where the click of my heels echoed, into a living room. I gulped at the sight of his family. They were speaking so softly, you would have considered it whispering. Rosalie was sitting on the couch, looking mean and annoyed while his parents were speaking to what I assumed to be Emmett about college.

"Emmett, dear, college is your future." His mother said before Emmett cleared his throat, eyeing Carlisle and I. Suddenly, all of the eyes were on me and I could feel sweat forming on my face.

"Mom, Dad. This is Bella." Carlisle introduced after what seemed like an eternity had gone by. "Bella, these are my parents, Eric and Evelyn, and this is my younger brother, Emmett."

"It's nice to meet you." I whispered, giving a small wave.

"You too." His mother said, coldly.

"Mr. Cullen, it's really an honor to meet you." I said as Carlisle led me to sit down near Emmett. "I've read so much about you and all the work you do. And, everything you've done for the hospital is really amazing."

"Thank you, Bella." He nodded as Evelyn handed him a glass of what looked like Scotch.

"I hope Pepsi is alright, Bella." She sighed, handing Carlisle and I a glass.

"Yes, Pepsi's just fine." I lied. I hated Pepsi, but I'd suck it up and take small sips. I took a sip and set the glass down on a coaster and just sat there, my hands in my lap, waiting for someone to say something.

"What are you going to school for, Bella?" Emmett finally asked.

"I would love to major in journalism." I told him. "Have you ever heard of Maureen Dowd?"

"No." He shook his head.

"Well, the first newspaper article I read was written by her in the New York Times and I just...fell in love with the idea, I guess. I really have no other reason other than I love writing, and I want to make a difference."

"Good luck making a difference." His mother huffed. "I doubt you'd even make enough to pay for rent."

"Mom." Carlisle warned. "Bella is an amazing writer. I know she'll get a job at the New York Times, or the Chicago Tribune."

"Maybe." His mother agreed as she stood up and walked away. I took a deep breath and just looked at Carlisle, who only nodded at me.

"You're going to the same school as my brother, right?" Emmett asked after his father had followed his mother.

"That's the plan." I smiled as Carlisle grabbed my hand.

"You did warn her...didn't you?" Rosalie asked out of the blue. "About how they're going to tear her apart."

"Yes, Rosalie." He seethed. "But, Bella is amazing, I'm sure she'll win them over at dinner."

"Fat chance!" Rosalie nearly shouted.

"Rosalie, keep your voice down." Her mother scolded as they came back into the room. "Dinner should be ready soon."

"What are we having?" Emmett asked.

"Pot Roast with red skinned potato's." His father answered and when I looked over, his mother was glaring at me. The six of us spent the rest of the time before dinner in silence, sipping our drinks and looking at the clock.

"Dinner is ready, ma'am." A little African American girl said from the doorway. We all rose and began making our way into the room, when I noticed the Starry Night mounted on the wall.

"It's beautiful." I sighed as I looked at it more closely.

"My mother is sort of an art patron." He sighed, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the dining room. "We've had a ton of paintings come and go over the years."

"Wow." I whispered as we entered the dining room. It was a long table, made for twelve, even though there were only six of us. Carlisle pulled my chair out for me, and slid me in once I'd sat down. We took the time, passing around the food and placing portions on our plate. "Your Starry Night is beautiful, Mrs. Cullen."

"Thank you, Bella." She sighed. "It's one of my favorites."

"Mine too." I smiled, hoping it would impress her. "van Gogh is one of my favorite artists."

"That's nice." She nodded, going back to her food. I looked over at Carlisle who only shook his head and went back to eating. Thankfully, Emmett was chatty and kept a conversation going or else I was afraid we would be eating in silence. I could tell that all three of them were always at odds with their parents, and I could tell why. There was something about them that was just cold. Even after knowing them for only a few hours, I felt cold.

"This was delicious, Mrs. Cullen." I complimented as their maid took my plate away from me. "Thank you."

"It was our pleasure, Bella." She whispered, and I didn't miss the roll of her eyes. I excused myself from the table to use the bathroom before dessert was served, and found myself wondering through their home. I made my way upstairs, and passed an opened door to a bedroom. I looked inside closely and realized it was Carlisle's room. I smiled at all the new articles on the wall, and the hundreds of books on his shelf. For a teenage boy, his room was clean, but then again, he had a maid.

I finally made myself leave the room, and found the bathroom. I washed my hands and made my way downstairs again, and heard screaming coming from the dining room.

"She isn'r right for you, Carlisle!" His mother yelled.

"Mom!" He shouted back. "I love her! What's the matter with her?"

"She's trash!" She yelled, and my breathing picked up. My family wasn't rich, but we weren't trash. "She's not for you!"

"There isn't anything you can say!" He yelled back and I heard a chair scraping against the wood. "I'm not going to stop seeing her."

"No." His father finally said. "You won't."

"I'm eighteen." He pointed out. "I can do what ever the FUCK I please!" He yelled and I heard his footsteps getting closer. He stopped in his tracks when he saw me, in tears I didn't even know were falling. He walked over to me and just pulled me into a tight hug. "Ignore them. You're amazing and I know that."

"Trash?" I cried.

"Don't listen to their hurtful words." He whispered, rubbing my back. "She called Rosalie trash once for wearing something she didn't approve of."

"They aren't going to tear us apart, are they?" I asked as he led me to his car.

"No." He whispered. "They can't." We jumped in his mustang and just as he put the car into gear, we heard my name being called.

"Bella!" Emmett called, running out towards us. "Don't...don't listen to them."

"Emmett, go." Carlisle ordered.

"No." He refused. "I know they think Carlisle's never had a girlfriend, but he has...and you're the only one he thought was worthy to mention. He really cares about you, Bella. Don't let my family ruin that for you because they'll do anything they can to strip us of our happiness."

"Emmett." Carlisle warned again.

"It's true, Bella." He sighed, stepping away from the car. I looked over at Carlisle who only gave me a weak smile before putting his foot on the gas pedal. The drive back to my house was silent, and I think he was afraid of what to say. But, I trusted him and believed Emmett when he said that Carlisle cared about me.

"Emmett was right." He sighed after he'd pulled into my driveway. "They will do anything to tear us apart."

"But, why?"

"Because, you aren't the daughter of a doctor or lawyer." He sighed. "You have a nice, simple life where family is the center of your home. Not paintings, or work."

"But, if you're happy with me..."

"It doesn't matter." He sighed. "It was how they were raised. Their marriage wasn't arranged, but they were basically forced into it."

"An arranged marriage?"

"Sort of." He whispered. "Their parents introduced them, and after a while if they didn't like each other they were allowed to break up, but they were basically told their marriage would be good for the family so they married."

"Wow." I whispered. "I don't know what I would do if my father made me do that."

"Yeah, well it's the exact thing they're trying to do to Rosalie."

"What?" I asked. "She's sixteen!"

"Yeah." He nodded, sounding disgusted. "She is. They don't care. They're planning ahead."

"But, who?"

"Ever heard of the Kings?" He asked and I nodded. "Well, they're big contractors and architectures. My father thinks the marriage will help him in rebuilding the hospitals he fixes."

"No wander she's so miserable." I mused. "Have you said anything?"

"I can't." He sighed. "I feel terrible, but they wouldn't listen and serious damage could be done."

"They...they wouldn't hit you?"

"No." He shook his head. "They aren't that terrible. But, it'd be bad. Really bad. We've all kind of accepted what our lives have become."

"Carlisle?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you even want to be a doctor?"

"Yes." He answered. "The one things my parents got right was they told us we could do whatever we wanted to do in college and in our career. Some things they'd approve more of than others, but if I wanted to major in philosophy then they'd keep their mouths shut."

"Oh."

"And, it isn't because my father is a doctor." He told me. "He's a surgeon."

"And you want to be?" I asked. "Specifically."

"I want to be a Cardiologist." He answered proudly. "My grandfather had a lifetime of heart problems. He had Silent Ischemia which is when the blood flow to the heart muscle is reduced but produces very little pain or symptoms. He'd get winded easily playing sports or running, but people didn't think much of it."

"When did they catch it?"

"After my father was born." He said. "He passed out in the delivery room and the tests they ran for him showed this."

"When did he die?"

"I was twelve." He whispered. "It was my grandmother wanting my parents to get married and my grandpa wanted nothing to do with it. He wanted my dad to love his wife like he loved my grandma, but she didn't want to hear him."

"Oh."

"He was my best friend." He said, and I could see his eyes filling with tears. "He taught me the value of a dollar, and how to treat women. He taught me how to drive a go-cart. He was the one to sit with me when Emmett fell of his bike and cracked his head open."

"I'm sorry, Carlisle."

"He was doing really well." He whispered. "They thought it wouldn't be a big problem since it hadn't been for thirty-two years of his life. I was with him."

"When?"

"When he had the heart attack." He cried. "He was in the kitchen, fixing my dinner while my parents were at Rosalie and Emmett's open house. He had been in there for a long time, and when I went to go check on him...he was sitting in a chair...unconscious. By the time we got to the hospital...it was too late."

"Carlisle." I whispered as he leaned forward. I began softly rubbing his back as he sobbed.

"I've never told anyone that. The only people who know are my family." He said after he'd calmed down. "Anyway, I told myself that day that I wouldn't let anyone lose someone like I lost him."

"So, you're going to become a cardiologist." I said, smiling at him.

"Yeah." He whispered.

"You know what, Carlisle?"

"What?"

"I feel a lot closer to you know." I whispered. "Thank you for telling me that."

"Thank you for sitting through hell tonight." He laughed, leaning into kiss me. "You wanna get out of here?"

"And go where?"

"Anywhere but here." He whispered. "Out of Forks. Away from everything. Let's just go."

"Okay," I sighed, squeezing his hand. "Let me go change and tell my mom. And, you could probably just change into something of Edward's." I said getting out of the car. "He even has a few Hollister t-shirts."

"You're real funny." He said sarcastically. I went upstairs and grabbed his some of Edward's clothes before going into my room to change. I changed into my favorite Radiohead shirt and jeans since it would be dark and chilly soon, and went into the hallway.

"What are you doing home?" Alice asked as she came inside as I was leaving. "I thought you were having dinner with the fam."

"I was." I agreed. "But, it didn't go very well."

"Why?"

"I'll explain everything later." I sighed, opening the door. "But, Carlisle's really upset and we're just gonna go hang out. Tell mom for me?"

"Sure." She agreed as I shut the door and got into Carlisle's Mustang. He began playing the song we listened to on our first date and began driving. We drove for an hour and a half before coming across a quiet, deserted field and parked the car. I leaned over and fell into his side, enjoying the closeness.

"I was so afraid tonight." He whispered. "I thought, after hearing everything and seeing where I came from, you'd want nothing to do with me."

"I'm dating you." I whispered. "Not your family. As long as you care about me..."

"And I do." He quickly added. "So much, Bella. Like Emmett said, I've had a few girlfriends, but I never thought they were important enough to mention to my family, let alone bring them to my house."

"Look, it took a while, but I fell for you, Carlisle." I whispered, stroking his chest. "I'm not going to run if there's trouble. That would be pretty boring."

"Promise?"

"Pinky." I laughed, holding my pinky out for him. He rolled my eyes as his own pinky clamped around mine and 'pinky swore' on it. "I love this song!" I squealed as House of Cards came over the speaker.

"Me too." He sighed, kissing me. "Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you." He whispered and I felt my body tensing. "I don't want you to say anything you don't mean, but I don't want to hide it anymore."

"Carlisle?"

"What?"

"I love you too." I whispered, and his face lit up like a Christmas tree. "So much."


End file.
